Entomology Laboratory

BORDER HEALTH NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2012

WELCOME! SAMPLES Hi everyone. It’s now the end of summer - did During February, 653 samples were collected you blink and miss it? The mozzies are still out by staff from 12 District Health Boards, with there doing their best in spite of the 218 positive. Sampling numbers were almost temperatures and the recent rainfall will be identical to last month (652) but with more helping them boost their numbers. positives this month and well down on this time last year. The specimens received were: Please remember if you have new staff or people leaving to let us know Species Adults Larvae ([email protected]) so we can NZ Mozzies update our distribution list and ensure the Aedes antipodeus 4 1 newsletter is getting sent to the right people. Ae. australis 0 46 Ae. notoscriptus 1497 2793 INCURSIONS/INTERCEPTIONS Coquillettidia iracunda 21 0 There were no interception callouts during Culex pervigilans 183 2020 March. Cx. quinquefasciatus 121 2336 Opifex fuscus 2 112 WEBSITE The SMS NZB website has had a lot of traffic as Exotics 0 0 a result of the December interception of Aedes aegypti and Aedes polynesiensis. Species TOTAL MOSQUITOES 1828 7308 profiles in particular are of interest, we think this is a great indication that the public are very interested in keeping New Zealand free of MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES exotic mosquitoes. The species profiles provide current information and an ideal source that the INVASIVE MOSQUITOES - UK public can be directed to for more detail on Source: Mirror [edited], Thu 9 Feb 2012 reported mosquito species. The profiles are easily on ProMED Mail 10 Feb 2012 downloaded and accessible to all

+BioSecure/Exotic+Mosquitoes.html). A mosquito carrying a deadly virus has arrived

in Britain. The insect, Culex modestus, bears We now have Bti Granules (Mozzie Stop Bits) [can transmit] the West Nile [WN] virus, which available on the website. These bits provide a causes flu-like symptoms and [can cause] slow release Bti residual for between 7-14 days inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. and work well in water under trees where mosquito control is often difficult. It has been found breeding in the marshes of

north Kent and south Essex over the past 2 If there is any information you would like to see years, the 1st sighting of the insect in the UK in the newsletter that is not currently included, since the 1940s. or if you have any queries about any of the information, please feel free to contact us The mosquito is suspected of causing [WN] through the website, or email us directly at virus epidemics in southern Europe, but last [email protected] or night [8 Feb 2012], experts stressed no one [email protected]. has ever been infected after being bitten here.

Entomology Laboratory

In the previous 2 UK [WN virus infection] A total of 23 cases, including 7 deaths, have cases, in 2006 and 2007, both the cases had been reported to have occurred since October returned from trips to Canada. 2011 in Guider, , Gaschiga, Lagdo, Mayo Oulo and Golombe districts. These cases were West Nile virus is normally passed on to identified as part of the surveillance system, humans via [mosquitoes that feed on] infected with fever and jaundice within 14 days of birds and is fatal in around 3 per cent of cases. onset.

Nick Golding of the Centre for Ecology and At least 13 cases from 6 health districts were Hydrology said: "It seems likely Culex modestus laboratory confirmed at the Institute Pasteur of has arrived fairly recently. A handful were by IgM ELISA test, which was collected on the South Coast in the 40s, but followed by the seroneutralizing test (PRNT), they didn't appear to be an established the most specific test for yellow fever, and by population. Until now, it hadn't been seen differential diagnostic [tests] for dengue and since." West Nile Virus conducted in the WHO regional reference laboratory for yellow fever, the Experts are now trying to establish how Institute Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal. widespread the mosquitoes are. The WHO country office has been working with [WN virus has been isolated from Culex the government/health authorities in the modestus in nature; this mosquito feeds on outbreak field investigation to confirm the cases birds and has been shown to be an efficient and assess the extent of the outbreak. vector of the virus in the laboratory. Although WN virus has not been isolated in the United GAVI Alliance, UN Central Emergency Response Kingdom, nor have human cases occurred Fund (CERF) and the International Coordinating there, given the movement of the virus via Group on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision (YF- birds, it would not be surprising if the virus ICG) are supporting a reactive mass vaccination eventually became established in Britain. campaign which aims to cover over 1.2 million Serological evidence of WN virus or a closely people in 8 health districts considered at high related flavivirus infection in sentinel chickens risk, namely Guider, Bibemi, Gaschiga, Lagdo, and wild birds in England has been reported Mayo-Oulo, I, Garoua II, and Golombe. previously (see ProMED-mail archive no. 20060920.269). The establishment of Cx. The vaccination campaign began on 23 January modestus adds another potential risk factor for 2012, covering these 8 health districts which virus transmission there. It will be interesting to were not covered in the 2009 preventive mass learn the extent of Cx. modestus distribution in vaccination campaign because they have no the United Kingdom and changes in its history of yellow fever outbreak or yellow fever geographic distribution over time.] virus circulation.

YELLOW FEVER IN CAMEROON YELLOW FEVER IN GHANA Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR) Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR) [edited] 3 Feb 2012 reported on ProMED Mail 7 Feb [edited] 3 Feb 2012 reported on ProMED Mail 7 Feb 2012 2012 http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_02_03/en/index.h http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_02_03b/en/index. tml html In December 2011, the Ministry of Health of On 20 Dec 2011, the Ministry of Health of Cameroon notified WHO of a yellow fever Ghana notified WHO of a yellow fever (YF) outbreak in the of the country. outbreak occurring in 3 districts; Builsa and

Entomology Laboratory Kassena-Nankana-West in the Upper East This activity will complement the 2-phased YF Region and Kitampo-South in the Brong Ahafo preventive mass campaign undertaken by the Region located in the mid-western part of the country. The 1st phase was conducted in country. November 2011 and targeted a population of 5.8 million people covering 40 districts (8 A total of 3 laboratory-confirmed cases, regions). A YF reactive campaign was carried including 2 deaths, have been detected by out in 3 more districts. The 2nd phase, planned yellow fever surveillance, with the clinical for this year, seeks to target 1.7 million people syndrome of fever and jaundice. spanning 17 districts.

The index case, reported from the Kassena- Photo of the Month Nankana-West district, was a 12-year-old male who had been going with his father to his farm in a forest bordering Burkina Faso. Onset of symptoms occurred on 11 Oct 2011 and progressively got worse until he died in Sandema Hospital on 18 Oct 2011. District outbreak teams investigated the affected areas but found no additional cases.

A reactive campaign has been planned starting 6 Feb 2012, supported by the International Coordinating Group on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision (YF-ICG) and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). Over Photo of adult female Culex modestus (species 235 000 people in the affected districts have featured in Mosquito-borne Diseases article been targeted for vaccination, with the above) ex exclusion of pregnant women and children aged http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/vect under 1 year. or-potential-mosquito-UK_2012_11.html